The Secret to Painting White Objects

Painting white objects in oil or in acrylic is trickier than one might think. A beginner will often just reach for a tube of white paint and ‘call it good’ but later wonder why his or her white daisy looks dull, flat and lifeless.

So, what is the secret to painting convincing whites? Read on to find out …

In the detail photo of my painting, “Still Life in Blue & White,” I put a white piece of paper next the the blue and white vase to illustrate how much color really goes into painting the illusion of white.

First, it is good to understand the basics of ‘white’. Yes it is true that titanium, zinc and lead white are the main pigments for painting white and the effects of light in acrylic and oil. But there is more to painting ‘white’ than slopping a blob of white paint from a tube onto a canvas.

The challenge is this: Although white makes a color lighter, it also removes its vibrancy and brightness.

The two different categories of white

Light-Generated WHITE:

White = the sum of all the colors of light.

Yes, white is a color.

White reflects all the colors of the visible light spectrum to the eyes.

But, you can’t see the colors of sunlight except when atmospheric conditions bend the light rays and create a rainbow.

A prism can also demonstrate this.

Pigment WHITE:(obviously, this is the ‘white’ we artists are need to understand)

Technically, pure white pigment is the absence of color.

You cannot mix colors to create white.

White is the absence of color.

Conversely, when you examine the pigment chemistry of white, you will find ground-up chalk and bone or chemicals as titanium and zinc.

These substances are used to create the many nuances of white in paint, chalk, crayons – and even beauty products.

It can be said that white is a ‘color’ in the context of pigment chemistry.

So now we know that ‘white’ reflects all the colors of the visible light spectrum! That means in order to paint convincing whites we must be able to paint the subtle color shifts and value changes. Your white subject matter will reflect the colors of the objects that surround it. Therefore, the truth is this – convincing whites are actually quite colorful.

(The charming ‘white tea-cup’ demonstration above is by Karen O’Neil – look at all that color!!!)

*Remember, WHITE reduces brightness so although it makes a color lighter, it removes its vibrancy.

Titanium white paint is my choice and the most commonly used by fine artists. Titanium white is the most opaque white pigment. It very easily covers paint layers underneath it. Titanium is the most neutral in color but is slightly cool.

Zinc white is made from pure zinc oxide and was originally developed in the 1700’s. It is somewhat translucent and produces brilliant color mixtures. Zinc white is known for its ease and workable quality in oils. But, this pigment tends to be very brittle and produces cold mixtures.

Lead White or basic lead carbonate is one of the oldest known pigments which was first developed during the time of Christ. It produces very warm and intense color mixtures. It is considered to be the most enduring pigment. Many of the most revered qualities of the ‘old masters’ paintings can be attributed from the use of lead white. That said, it is of utmost importance to note that LEAD WHITE IS EXTREMELY TOXIC!

I hope you learned a thing or two about painting white! Thank you. ~Lori

Thanks for the complimentary comment, Wendy! I replied to your comment, but it got lost somehow…so please forgive me if I repeat myself. Anyway, painting, blogging and family is a lot to juggle, but I really enjoy helping others through my own experiences.

I looked at you website and really liked you old Montana style. Would you like to share a tip or helpful story with us? Please consider.

Hi Sean! Thanks for checking out my blog. Glad you like it. Funny, I just was on your site and posted a comment. But, you will have to wait and see what I had to say – I don’t want to repeat myself here. I will say that I enjoyed my visit on your site!

Come back again when you need a little shot-in-the-arm of “art culture”! ~Lori 🙂

Barbara, I hope these tips on painting white help you with your project. Let me know how it works for you. Thanks for the visit and come back again soon. Also, let me know if you have any topic suggestions!

Lori 🙂

Annette M. Ellis January 31, 2010 at 4:08 pm

Hi Lori, its wonderful to have found your web-site and all of the information that you are sharing..It has made the difficulties I have been struggling with for so long more able to understand..I am finding values hard to get a grasp on , but I am determined to learn with perserverance, and never say die attitude..Thank you so much…Annette

Nice! I’m new to your terrific site, but if you haven’t covered the subject in the past, here’s an idea: how *dark* and colorful reflections and highlights on dark hair and dark shiny subjects can be. Despite looking kinda white! Best, Karla Mulry

I really enjoyed thispost and seeing the steps of the “white” tea cup painting, love those vibrant blues! I have fun attempting to paint white objects, like lilies sometimes, I find it to be a good brain and mixing exercise like practicing the scales. Thank you for this and all of your posts, they’re always useful, fun and imformative! I’ve always only used lead white and I love it (it much more toxic as powder or pigment which you cannot buy anymore) because it has an almost translucent quality that the other whites don’t have. Just my personal preference. Thanks again Lori.